Day Trips in Padua

When visiting the region of Veneto, Padova (also known as Padua) is not only a great stop before heading to Venice, but also a place to find more affordable accommodations than in Venice. Just a 40 to 60 minute drive away from Venice, Padova is a city rich in history (its foundation dates back to 1183 BC), art (it's the setting of Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew ) and great North Italian cuisine. Here are a couple ideas for day trips during your stay in Padova, nicknamed "The City of Universities"

High Tech Museum

If you enjoyed the films "The Da Vinci Code" and "Angels and Demons", you will definitely enjoy visiting the Scrovegni Chapel because it mixes great frescos dating back to 1305 with a very futuristic art preservation system. The Scrovegni Chapel ("Capella degli Scrovegni" in Italian) owes it name to Enrico degli Scrovegni who commissioned this chapel to replace a worn down Roman arena. In this chapel you will find the most acclaimed fresco cycle in the world, completed by the Italian artist, Giotto, in the 14th century. The main themes of this fresco cycle are: the episodes in the lives of Joachim and Anna, the episodes in the Virgin Mary's life (7-13) and the episodes recounting Christ's life and death. Also the lower part of the frescoes make allegories to illustrate vices and virtues.

Scrovegni Chapel

Now here's the high tech part! You must book your visit to the Scrovegni Chapel in advance at (39) 049-2010020 because the chapel has an air tight vault that stabilizes the temperature between the inside and the outside of the chapel to better preserve the delicate frescoes. The whole process of opening the vault, allowing the guests in, closing the vault and stabilizing the temperatures takes about 20 minutes. If you would like to book a guided tour, please mention it at the time of booking your visit and specify your preferred language. If you don't specify a language, the chapel personnel will assume that you will be fine with a guided tour in Italian! A visit to the Scrovegni Chapel can very well take a whole afternoon, so you can complement your morning with a relaxing time at your hotel facilities and/or some shopping at the Botthegue del Centro (downtown shops), where you will find clothes, travel packages, flowers or produce (depending on the day of your visit).

Do as Paduans Do

In Padova, the saying goes "a meadow without grass, a saint without a name and a cafe without doors" to describe the spirit of the city ofPadova.  Just as in Rome, you do as Romans do. In Padua, you do as Paduans do! The "meadow without a grass" part refers to the Prato della Valle, a gigantic elliptical square that is the heart of Padova, where people of all ages go for some great outdoor activities or just some relaxing under the sun. With over 90,000 square meters, here you will surely a great spot to sit down and enjoy your favorite book. The Prato della Valle offers basketball courts, soccer fields, monkey bars and all kinds of facilities for you and your family to enjoy. During the summer, make sure to wear a hat, pack sunblock lotion and bring plenty of water. Italian summers can be very hot!

Basilica del Santo

The "saint without a name" part refers to the Basilica del Santo (Basilica of The Saint), which was designed by the world famous artist, Donatello. The legend says that visitors to this basilica will be blessed by gifts from strangers for the rest of theirlifes. Not a bad deal! This basilic holds the remains of Saint Anthony de Pauda, originally born in Portugal, but moved to Padua to continue his work for the rest of his life.

The last part of this local saying, refers to the Caffe Pedrocchi, near the Palazzo del Bo, where you can enjoy service in this open (without any doors) at any time of the day throughout the whole year.If you follow this local saying, you're guaranteed to understand what Padova is all about!